I fact-checked professionally for about seven years. And I don't need any hands to count the number of error-free articles I checked, because there were none. We all make mistakes—what matters is whether you catch them in time. Here's an overview of my process: substack.com/home/post/p-...

In which I share a recipe for the best pasta salad you'll have all summer: lexipandell.substack.com/p/five-thing...

You don't want to miss Zach St. George's SNAKE MEN, a romp through the petty world of taxonomy and the two centuries of contrarian, snake-obsessed men who've turned it into a sport. I interviewed him about his wild characters and writing his second book 🐍 lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing...

I’m thrilled to share this news! Thanks so much to @doricliterary.bsky.social for supporting my story “In the Pits” and nominating it for Best of the Net. Long live the Pit Crew!

Doric Literary@doricliterary.bsky.social · 3w ago

Congratulations to our BOTN nominees: @danielmiller.bsky.social & @lpandell.bsky.social We publish short fiction inspired by classic writers. If alive, you know Carver & O'Connor would be writing about glory holes & armpit hair. doric-literary.com/2026/03/01/b... doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...

Writers, this is for you. I wrote about my essential toolkit—the pens, notebooks, apps, devices, and desk setup that help me work most efficiently: lexipandell.substack.com/p/letter-of-...

Sundays are for reading! Read something unique today, something to make you laugh & make you think...you know, a classic that will forever plant in your memory an image of young women braiding each other's armpit hair. "In the Pits" by @lpandell.bsky.social doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...

In the Pits

However we entered the world of hair removal, we perfected our techniques over time. We washed our flesh with soap, pressed pink foam into our palms, shaved our pits smooth, and then deodorized the…

doric-literary.com

In my latest short story, "In the Pits", a group of high school girls become possessed by the idea of growing their pit hair. But what possessed me to write about pit hair in the first place? I wrote about it on Substack: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing...

On Writing: What I really wrote about when I wrote about armpit hair

Trends, unruly bodies, and other inspiration behind my latest short story, "In the Pits." Plus, a special playlist.

lexipandell.substack.com

“In a way it feels like a sacrifice of the truth of memory because, once it’s transformed, I’m remembering what’s on the page maybe more than what happened.” -T Kira Māhealani Madden on writing memoir, 7/1/26 at the Roxie in SF

On girlhood fury, rebellion, and armpits. My latest short story is out now with @doricliterary.bsky.social: doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i... Pits de résistance!

Now online: "In the Pits" by Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social Told in Lexi's unique voice & style, this is a story about rebellion, solidarity, community & challenging cultural norms. Oh, & it's about armpit hair. Enjoy! Laugh, reflect, join the resistance! doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...

In the Pits

However we entered the world of hair removal, we perfected our techniques over time. We washed our flesh with soap, pressed pink foam into our palms, shaved our pits smooth, and then deodorized the…

doric-literary.com

Normalize writing not being healing

Lexi Pandell@lpandell.bsky.social · last mo.

"In therapy, my emotions can be messy. In writing, I clean up the mess and fit the pieces together to find the narrative." On the process of writing a memoir—and what the work has actually asked of me: lexipandell.substack.com/p/no-writing...

Coming June 30! The below isn’t a random sentence, specifically extracted to trick you into thinking this story will be about something it isn’t. “In the Pits,” by @lpandell.bsky.social, is entirely about armpit hair: shaving it . . . and NOT shaving it. You’re gonna love it.

"In therapy, my emotions can be messy. In writing, I clean up the mess and fit the pieces together to find the narrative." On the process of writing a memoir—and what the work has actually asked of me: lexipandell.substack.com/p/no-writing...

No, writing my memoir isn't cathartic

And I never expected it to be. Here's why.

lexipandell.substack.com

Need some music to fuel your Monday? Look no further. I put this together for writers, but it's really for anyone doing high-focus work: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...

Music recommendations for every kind of writer

Whether you listen to classical, techno, lo-fi, or silence, I've got suggestions to expand your listening.

open.substack.com

How do critics decide which books to review? How does the review process work? And how much book mail do they really get? For this week's Substack, I interviewed fantastic book critic (and my former Wired colleague) Chelsea Leu to find out more: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...

The Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with book critic Chelsea Leu

Ever wonder how critics choose which books to review...and how much book mail actually gets sent to their home? Chelsea Leu explains it all.

lexipandell.substack.com

Alright, Buffalo! I was not familiar with your game.

The wonderful thing about mid-aughts and 2010s nostalgia is how achievable it is to recreate. You, too, can invite 100 people to a house party, drink warm jungle juice out of a kiddie pool, play Girl Talk from a blown-out speaker, and achieve nirvana.

In Joshua Tree tonight? Come to S'mores & Stories! We'll have literary readings, free s'mores, limited edition t-shirts, and moooore. And it's FREE to attend! Mas o Menos at 6 pm 🌵

As the first weekend of Desert Salon 2026 wraps, I'm sharing my thoughts on nine years of hosting a writing retreat: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...

I started a writing retreat—here's what I've learned

Lessons from nine years of running the Desert Salon retreat in Joshua Tree.

open.substack.com

Real, thorough fact-checking isn't about going down a checklist. It's second-guessing, cross-checking, falling down rabbit holes, and often talking to actual humans. AI can't do any of that. And I can say that with confidence because a fact-checker checked it: www.wired.com/story/fact-c...

AI Just Isn’t Right

Can AI do fact-checking? A WIRED fact-checker fact-checks.

wired.com

Tales from the Edges of California is THIS Saturday at 2 pm at Desert General. You won't want to miss it!

Lexi Pandell@lpandell.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I’m very excited to be co-hosting two upcoming reading events through Desert Salon. If you’ll be in the Joshua Tree area on May 30 or June 6, come on through! More details (including reader lineups) coming soon.

When it comes to AI, writers need to be responsible for their own work. But publishers need to step up too. I dropped Monday’s Substack early so we can talk about it: substack.com/home/post/p-...

Publishers need to wake the f*ck up to AI

The future may feel uncertain, but publishers owe it to writers and readers to get ahead of this mess.

substack.com

"There’s an every-day sameness—a lot of standing and waiting—but there’s also an element of surprise. Who will walk in? What will happen today?" I interviewed fellow Berkeley j-schooler Hasan Dudar about his wonderful debut story collection, CARRYOUT: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing...

On Writing: A Q&A with author Hasan Dudar

The debut author of Carryout on place, exile, and why a corner store was a natural home for stories.

lexipandell.substack.com

Have you tried a Reject-a-thon? It’s the most fun you’ll have hearing no: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...

On Rejection: Trust me, you should start a Reject-a-Thon

Having fun with rejection is the best way to start getting acceptances—and enjoy pizza with friends.

open.substack.com

Bay Area writers, readers & friends! The next BAIT reading is THIS Friday, May 8 at 6 pm at @sausalitolibrary.bsky.social. Readers are Carvell Wallace, Chia-Chia Lin, Sarah Stone, and Dāshaun Washington. 😍 Free to attend and reading followed by a Q&A. Details and RSVP at baitreading.com

What is the one thing that nobody told you when you were starting out as a writer? I'll go first: Rejection is a part of the deal, even for talented writers. Like...so much rejection! Success as a writer is all about persistence.

This week on Writer to Writer, I got to take a peek inside the mind of writer/editor @maxuf.bsky.social. Learn about the cliché he always deletes, his favorite publications right now, what makes for a great FastCo pitch, and more: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...

The Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with FastCo editor Max Ufberg

A senior editor on shaping stories, killing clichés, and writing in stolen moments.

lexipandell.substack.com

I’m very excited to be co-hosting two upcoming reading events through Desert Salon. If you’ll be in the Joshua Tree area on May 30 or June 6, come on through! More details (including reader lineups) coming soon.

So much of agenting can feel like a mystery for writers. What's actually selling? What makes an agent pay attention? And what are instant deal breakers? This week, I had the chance to pull back the curtain with my literary agent, @lmscovel.bsky.social: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...

The Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with literary agent Lauren Scovel

On the most surprising thing about agenting, how many queries she really gets, and how she knows when she's fallen in love with a project.

lexipandell.substack.com

How many "nos" does it take to get a "yes"? The answer might surprise you! This post will get you fired up. Thank you to @isleofanalia.bsky.social, @simonestolzoff.bsky.social, @josephbienkahn.com, @tanyazilinskas.com, and Kim Henderson for sharing: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-rejecti...